Kung Fu Panda Prequel 2 of 2: Kiro's Origin
by jweaks2016
Summary: The second and final prequel! This story covers Kiro's beginning and rise to the rank of hero. From the house fire, to his apprenticeship with Tai Lung, to his first encounter with the Five. Secrets about his past will be revealed! Teasers about the final big story in here too!
1. Burned to the Ground

**Hey, what's happening everyone? Special treat for you guys! Two chapters in one day! Thanks to all who reviewed my story and the select few who favorite/ followed it. I promised that I would write the second prequel, and I will deliver. This story is about Kiro (if you've read my past two major stories, then you know who this is) and his journey from the time of the fire to when he met the Five for the first time. Haven't really decided how long this is gonna be, but I'm thinking anywhere between 6-10 chapters. Be on the lookout for tiny hints for the plot of my final major story with Kiro, Po, and the Five! If you're reading this right now, that means that the last chapter of the first prequel, Kung Fu Panda Prequel 1 of 2: Birth of the Five.**

**IF YOU HAVE NOT READ SAGE'S SIEGE, YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THIS STORY!**

**Here's the first chapter…**

*With Kiro, as a small child, early morning*

A small white tiger awoke in his bed, at about seven in the morning. He looked about his room, which had paintings of beautiful fields with flowers and some others of great kung-fu warriors.

Kiro slowly got out of bed and yawned.

_Oh, yeah! That's right! Today's the day that I can hang out with Tigress!_

The excited boy ran downstairs to see his parents.

"Mom! Dad! Ti is coming over! I…"

Kiro trailed off as he felt his stomach gurgle.

"Uh, can I have some morning wheat dumplings and some noodles?" The child asked, looking up at his parents with big eyes.

Kiro's mom sighed. "How can I refuse that look? Fine, I'll make your favorite breakfast!"

"Yay!" Kiro cheered.

"However, you must go upstairs and get dressed for the day, first!" His father cut in.

"Alright." The white tiger said glumly as he walked up the steps.

He put on a silver shirt and some baggy pants and walked to the top of the steps. He was about to go down, but stopped when he heard his parents quietly arguing.

"You know that we can't go back! They'll get us!" His mom hissed.

"Well, we can't stay here either! After we had to give her away, we can't afford to lose him! Besides, I stole these from that wolverine!" His father replied.

"You STOLE those? You've put us in danger again!"

"Well, I was going to give these to Kiro. The boy needs to protect himself! Besides, I'm not the only one who's made mistakes! You were the one who wanted a kid so bad! Why'd you have to go and do such a stupid move?"

"Chin! I swear, if you've put us in harm's way again, it'll be the last time you ever will make a stupid move!"

"Hey, listen!"

The whole house went silent and Kiro started to get nervous.

_Did they know I was listening? What did they mean by what they said?_

"Do you hear crackling?" His father whispered.

"Yeah, and I smell smoke! Chin, what's going on?"

The house grew silent again, and Chin walked out of the house to check what it was. Soon Kiro heard a crackling also. Suddenly, the roof in his parent's bedroom collapsed, and fire roared throughout the upstairs. The flames slowly spread to Kiro's room, incinerating his clothes and all of his belongings.

"KIRO!" His mom shouted.

"MOMMY!" He cried out.

He scrambled down the steps, but a beam on fire crashed through the stairs, creating a medium sized gap. Kiro looked down and saw the flames climbing higher and higher. He jumped over the pit and tumbled down the steps, crashing to the ground.

"EVERYONE OUT!" Chin yelled as he burst back into the house.

"KIRO!" His mom called out as she ran towards he boy.

She picked him up and they started to run towards the front door. Chin swung it open, but was horrified to see that it had been blocked off by the flaming debris.

"BACK DOOR! BACK DOOR! GO!" He yelled.

They ran towards the back door, which was a few feet away. Suddenly, a pile of flaming wood started to fall from the ceiling. Kiro's mom looked up and tossed Kiro towards the door. The little white tiger tumbled across the floor and looked on with terror as the wooden beams came down, trapping his parents in the fire. Only a small gap at the bottom of the pile was the only way for the family to communicate.

"MOMMY! DADDY!" Kiro shouted, tears streaming down his face.

The little child ran up to the pile and knelt down by the gap. His mother's hand stuck out from the gap and felt around. Kiro grabbed his mom's hand and started sobbing.

"Kiro, my baby, you have to leave without us! Please! It's the only way!" She cried.

"NO, MOMMY! You can come! We can leave!" Came the boy's answer.

"Kiro, I'm so proud of you! I know that someday, you will amount to great things! We'll always be there with you!" She sobbed.

With that, her hand let go of Kiro's and slipped back under the small gap. His father's hand came out now, holding two sleek, black staffs that were glowing red on one end.

"Kiro, take these! These'll protect you against any dangers you may face! Never let these fall into the wrong hands, son! I'm proud to be your father! Always know that and always keep these with you as a memory of us!"

"DADDY!" Kiro cried out in anguish.

"Take these and run, son! Don't look back! Just keep running and find shelter! You have to take care of yourself now! Find a group of friends if you can and stick with them! If y—AUGH!"

Chin was cut off and he cried out in pain.

"No! I'm not leaving you guys!" Kiro cried.

"Son, there's no way for us to escape! RUN! RUN AND DON'T LOOK BACK!" Chin shouted.

"I LOVE YOU, DADDY!"

Kiro took the staffs and ran out of the house, bursting through the back door and sprinting off into the valley, not daring to look back.

"WE LOVE YOU SON! WE—AHHHHHHH!" His parents cried out for the final time, before they were engulfed in the flames.

Kiro was now on his own.

No family.

No shelter.

No food.

No idea of where to go next.

It was just him against the world, now.

**That's the end of this first chapter! Really sad beginning, I know, but this is how Kiro's adventure started. I promise to write a more humorous and happy chapter in a few, so stay tuned! Leave a review of what you think of it so far!**

**More to come…**


	2. Kiro's New Master

**Well, everyone, here's the second chapter! Again, sorry about the sad chapter previously, but that's how his adventure started.**

**Some of you may have ideas on what connections I'm making with these two prequels and my final major Kiro, Po, and Five story, and there have been some close guesses, but nobody has gotten it right yet.**

**Anyway, enjoy…**

*With teenage Kiro, 11 years later*

"Look, kid, just give us the cash that you've got, and you can live another day."

Three wolf bandits stood over the homeless Kiro, one holding a sword to his neck.

Kiro's clothes were tattered and grimy. His fur was messy and discolored and a foul stench roamed around him, due to Kiro not being able to bathe for weeks.

Ever since the fire, Kiro had no place to go, barely any food, and enough water for him to survive. Due to his father's reputation as a criminal, nobody wanted to hire Kiro to work for them, out of fear that he would rob them blind. Kiro made a little money begging and he had a small plantation a few miles from the valley where he grew all the vegetables and fruit he could to sell in the market. Due to the freshness and low price, his produce went fast, however people often didn't pay and would steal from him when he wasn't looking.

The wolves wanted every penny he had left, which would more than likely leave him starving to death.

"Really? Robbing a homeless person? There's not like a jewelry store or some rich guy that you could rob? You have to steal all the money from a hobo, leaving him to starve to death?" Kiro asked in a weakened voice.

"Eh, I guess you're right. Give us the staffs and we'll leave." One of the wolves replied.

"I'd rather give you the money." The tiger said.

"Nah, those staffs are worth much more! We'll take those and be on our way." The third wolf jeered.

The edge of the blade pressed closer against his neck.

"Fine, just let me get them."

The wolf took the sword away from his neck and Kiro slowly walked over and picked up his Di staffs. He walked back over and held out the weapons, the red ends pointing towards the wolves.

"Well, thanks! Glad we could conv—AAAHHH!"

The wolf was cut off from his sentence when to beams of red power shot out from the staffs, sending the thieves flying across the area.

"Come on! Come and get them! I'm waiting!" Kiro called out.

"You dirty little trickster!" One of the burglars snarled.

The three charged towards Kiro, ready to slash him to pieces, but the tiger elongated his staffs and spun them around, slamming the ends into his foes and forcing them to the ground.

"BING!" Kiro cheered slamming his staff on a wolves head, knocking him out.

"BANG!"

Another thief fell unconscious.

"BONG!"

The final wolf slumped to the ground.

"And that, ladies and gents, is why you don't mess with homeless people! You never know what they have up their sleeve!" Kiro joked in a deep voice.

"My, my, that was impressive!" A voice said from the shadows.

"What ho? A foe? Where? Who's next?" Kiro said, getting into his fighting stance.

"Relax, boy. I just came to make you an offer!" A snow leopard stated, walking out of a dark alley.

The cat was big, grey with brownish spots, muscular, and handsome. He had purple silk pants on and tape was wrapped around his ankles. A large, metal band was wrapped around his waist.

"And who might you be?" The white tiger demanded.

"I'm Tai Lung, that's who." He replied.

"Hey, aren't you a cousin or brother or something of the Wu sisters?"

"My boy, just because we look similar doesn't make us related. A common misconception."

"Oh, okay. Why are you here? What do you want?" Kiro asked, lowering his staffs.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice your talent for fighting. I also couldn't overlook your…condition. I'm a great kung-fu master! Surely you've heard of me." The leopard gloated.

"Sorry, can't say I have. Should I be, like, bowing or something?" Kiro asked.

"It would be nice."

Kiro slightly bowed to the snow leopard, then narrowed his eyes. "So, you still haven't answered my question. Why're you here?"

"Well, dear child, I have been looking for an apprentice to pass my teachings down to. I hadn't found anybody worthy enough, until I saw you. Funny, though. I don't see many tigers around here. Most of them originate from Japan!" Tai Lung stated.

"You flatter me! Oh, stop! Anyway, I guess I'm one of a kind, then. Ever since I can remember, I've lived here. Moving back to the topic at hand: you're asking me to be your student?" Kiro responded.

"That's right! I could take you away from this life and give you new clothes, food, water, a home…" Tai Lung took a sniff in Kiro's direction, "…and you could have a bath."

"Well, that sounds great and all, but would I be able to keep these?" Kiro said, holding up his staffs.

"Sure! You'll learn how to fight with those and learn different styles of kung-fu also." Tai Lung responded.

"Well, deal! I'll get my stuff!"

The snow leopard expected to have to wait a few minutes, but was surprised that once Kiro had picked up his small pouch of money and got his coat and weapons, he was ready to go.

"How long did you expect to wait? I'm homeless!" Kiro said, walking past his new master.

*A couple of days later*

Tai Lung had lead the tiger to a medium sized home, that had two rooms, a hot spring, and a training hall added on to it. The whole building was made out of bamboo branches, but was cemented into the ground, so it was sturdy enough.

Once Kiro had bathed and unpacked his stuff, he ate almost everything in the house and slept for quite a while. He hadn't had this kind of treatment since he was a kid!

_Eleven years of starving and rotting in the streets are over! Now, I have a life again with a fresh start._

Once Kiro had awoken, he put on a grey shirt with some black pants and a black and red cloak and went downstairs to meet Tai Lung.

*With Tai Lung*

"Well, master, I'm ready to begin my first day of training!" The tiger said as he walked down the steps and up to Tai Lung.

The new and improved Kiro Takimuro stood before his master, ready to begin training.

"Excellent, boy! I'll teach you as much as I can and soon, you'll be the master of tiger style!" The leopard replied.

"Sounds pretty awesome! Well, let's get started!" The white tiger said, enthusiastically.

_Wonderful. Soon, I'll have the boy at my side, and he'll help me seize what's mine! Shifu and that stupid turtle will be sorry that they ever banished me from the Jade Palace! The Dragon Scroll WILL be mine!_

**That's the end of this chapter! Much more upbeat for Kiro than the last one, don't ya think? Things are starting to turn for the best! Or are they? Keep an eye out for the next chapter! I'll be writing it in a couple of days!**

**Leave a review if you enjoyed! Also, why not follow or favorite the story if you like it? Helps a ton and all it takes is a couple of clicks from that mouse there!**

**More to come…**


	3. Switching Sides

**Hey everyone! It's me again! I'm glad you guys are enjoying my prequels so much, despite some hesitation in the beginning. It's good to see that you guys are trying to see if you can figure out what the big surprise is going to be in KFP Finale: Tiger Tiger.**

**I KNOW! TWO CHAPTERS BACK TO BACK! WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?**

**Thanks for the good reviews so far! Here's the next chapter…**

*With 19 year old Kiro, a few years later*

"Well, Master, I've learned much from you. I'm very happy to have been your student, however, I must ask something." Kiro sighed after a hard day of training.

"Yes, Kiro. What is it?" Tai Lung replied.

"Well, you've said that my final test will be coming up soon, but you haven't told me what it is yet. Mind if I ask what it is?"

"Well, my boy, I think that you're ready for it now! You see, one of the kung-fu masters up in the Jade Palace stole a sacred artifact from me a little while ago. It's been in my family for generations, and I must get it back. It's a matter of honor! However, I cannot do it alone. I need your help to get it back. After this, you will be granted the title of master. Are you prepared for your challenge, boy?" The leopard explained.

"Sounds sweet! Yeah, I'm ready!" The white tiger answered excitedly.

_Awesome! I can see it now: Kiro, Master of Tiger Style. I'll be able to fight crime all across China!_

"Good. Grab your black and red cloak and your staffs. We leave at nightfall." Tai Lung stated, smiling sinisterly.

*Nighttime*

The two fighters ran across the rooftops at an incredible speed, not making a sound. They sprinted through the shadows and down alleyways, heading towards the Jade Palace. They reached the massive staircase of the palace and started to run up the steps. Tai Lung's claws came out of his fingers and Kiro whipped out his staffs and carried them behind him.

This was it. The moment Kiro had always dreamed of. He was going to be a kung-fu master.

One they had reached the top of the steps, they jumped over the wooden and steel wall surrounding the palace and walked up to the front door.

"Remember Kiro: failure is not an option. All of your training has lead up to this moment." The snow leopard reminded.

"Yes, Master. Let's go kick some butt." Kiro responded, smiling.

The leopard nodded and slammed his fist into the door, sending it flying open. A short, red panda and an old turtle, who were standing by the small pool in the main hall, turned to see Tai Lung and his apprentice standing in the doorway.

"Kiro, check the other rooms and take out any students that they have here. I don't want any backup for these two. Once you're done, come back here and help me." Tai Lung commanded.

The white tiger nodded and sprinted off towards the barracks. He didn't turn back when he heard his master and Master Shifu engage in combat.

Kiro turned the corner and looked down the dark, quiet hall.

_This place is creepy at night. I'd hate to live here._

He started to carefully check each room. Opening each door and checking all possible hiding spots.

_Wow. I guess nobody wants to train here. Good for me, bad for them._

Kiro finally approached his last room and slid the door open. There, sleeping on a cot, was an orange and black striped female tiger, sound asleep. Her room was littered with weapons and combat gear, which freaked Kiro out a little, but he quickly shook the feeling off.

_Sorry, kitty, but you've got to take a permanent nap._

Kiro's staffs formed a shimmering red outline of a sword and he stepped closer to the sleeping student. He stopped over her and was about to end her when he realized something.

Her face.

Her face looked very familiar.

_Tigress?_

Kiro's eyes went wide once he realized that his childhood friend was sleeping before him.

He was about to have killed his best friend.

_Tigress? I haven't seen her in years! Wow, she's changed! Kung-fu warrior and everything. Why would…_

The white tiger heard someone clear their voice behind him and he spun around, ready to fight.

He was face to face with an old turtle.

"You're not like him." He croaked.

"Him?" Kiro asked, confused by what he meant.

"Him!"

"Tai Lung?"

"Him!"

"Stop saying that! What do you mean?"

"What I mean, dear Kiro, is that if you were Tai Lung, you would have killed her without a second thought." The turtle stated.

"You and that red panda out there stole Tai Lung's scroll that has been in his family for ages! Why?" The tiger snarled.

"Is that what he told you? Well, let me explain. He thought that he was destined to be the Dragon Warrior. The hero who would protect all of China! However, I saw darkness in him, so I banished him from this palace after he refused to go peacefully. He vowed to seize the scroll that would make him Dragon Warrior one day. He left here and went to get help." The tortoise explained.

"He tricked me? He taught me everything I know!" Kiro said.

"Yes, but he used you for his own purposes."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Oogway."

Kiro's eyes widened. "YOU'RE Oogway? I've hear stories about you. You were my idol…"

Master Oogway chuckled. "Well, I'm flattered by your comment. Back to the matter at hand, though. Do you really want to end up like Tai Lung?"

The room grew silent for a moment as the white tiger contemplated what was all happening.

"No. I don't want to be a sleaze bag like him. Thanks, Master Oogway."

"You're welcome, Kiro. I too have heard your story, and I must give my condolences. I would like to meet with you in a couple of days by the peach tree not far from here. Do you know where that is?"

"It's the only peach tree in this valley, so yeah, I know where it is. I'll be there! Right now, though, I have to go help your friend!" Kiro said hurriedly running out of the room.

"My, she's a heavy sleeper." Oogway said to himself, looking at Tigress. "Kiro, I would advise against it! Doing such would be dangerous and reckless!"

The white tiger turned back and looked at the turtle and smiled. "Reckless, huh? Yeah, that's a good word to describe me!"

He ran back to the main hall to face his backstabbing 'master.'

"Hey! Tai Lung!" Kiro called out when he arrived.

The leopard threw the short panda across the room and turned to face the tiger. Kiro started sprinting towards him and summoned two giant metal hammer outlines with his staffs.

"Didn't…" Kiro said as he whacked the cat with one hammer.

"…anyone…"

Whack.

"…tell you…

Whack.

"…that it's not…"

Whack.

"…polite to lie?"

Kiro finished as he slammed the two hammers down on Tai Lung's head. The leopard plummeted to the ground and slowly got up.

"So, you found out, huh? How?" He grinned, swaying side to side.

"A very wise turtle. Now, I would appreciate it if you would apologize, give up, and turn yourself in. It would be very helpful and save me a lot of time." The tiger replied.

"Never…"

"Alright! FOOT SWIPE!" Kiro shouted as he knocked his opponent's feet out from under him.

"FLIP KICK!"

Kiro kicked Tai Lung into the air with great force. The leopard quickly recovered and brought his fists down on the tiger's head, sending Kiro crumpling to the ground. He picked up the barley conscious Kiro and tossed him over by the door.

Tai Lung looked over and saw Oogway standing over the small master and lunged for the turtle. Oogway quickly tapped some points on the snow leopard's torso and Tai Lung fell to the ground unconscious.

"Master? What's going on…?" A sleepy Tigress asked as she walked out from the barracks. She looked over at Tai Lung and gasped. She then looked over at Kiro, whose face was hidden by the shadows and took a few steps back.

Kiro scrambled to his feet and ran out of the palace.

Tigress started after him, but Oogway stopped her.

"Let him go. He's no longer an enemy of ours. You'll see him again someday..."

**That's the end! Hope you enjoyed!**

**Leave a review with what you thought of the story!**

**More to come…**


	4. The Emperor's New Bodyguard

**Hey guys! Hope you guys are starting to piece together one of the surprises in the upcoming major story! Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

*The next day, early morning*

Kiro sat under the peach tree, looking out over the valley which was bathed in the morning sunlight. The wind lightly blew across the fields, the grass swaying in the breeze. It was such a peaceful and tranquil scene.

"Ah, so I see that you decided to meet me here." Oogway croaked as he slowly made his way up the hill to the peach tree.

"Well, now that my 'master' is in jail, I have nowhere else to go. I'm open to any options that you may have for me. Besides, I'm NOT going back to being a homeless person." The white tiger replied.

"Hm. Yes, we wouldn't want that. However, I do have an idea." The turtle stated.

"Oh? What's that? Merc for hire? If so, that'd be totally cool!" Kiro responded, slipping into a state of daydreaming.

"Kiro…" Oogway said softly.

"A lone man who answers to no one. He lives by his own standards!"

"Kiro…" The tortoise said, a little louder.

"A rogue warrior, who doesn't play by the rules!"

The master lightly whacked Kiro on his head, snapping the tiger back to reality.

Kiro rubbed the sore spot on his head. "Ow! Ya couldn't have just tapped me on the shoulder? That would've been too difficult for ya?"

"I needed to grab your attention. No, young tiger, not a mercenary, but as a bodyguard for the Emperor."

The white tiger snorted. "Yeah, ok. Alright, so what's my REAL occupation going to be?"

"Bodyguard for the Emperor."

"Come on, stop pulling my leg. What's it gonna be?"

"Bodyguard for the Emperor."

"Oh really? And, his majesty is fine with this?" Kiro asked, still not believing the master.

"Well, this letter says he is." Oogway replied, handing Kiro a very shiny and gold lined scroll.

The tiger's eyes widened and he grabbed the scroll, opened it, and sped through the writing, explaining how the Emperor would love to have a warrior who sounds so talented as Kiro.

"But, you've never seen me fight!" Kiro sputtered.

"Haven't I? My dear boy, I see a variety of things from you. I know your past, your heritage, and bits and pieces of what you will amount to. So, yes, I have seen you fight, and you do so very well." The master explained.

"ALRIGHT! AWESOME! I'm going to guard the Emperor!" Kiro cheered as he started to do a little victory dance.

Oogway chuckled and let Kiro run and pack his things.

*A couple hours later*

"Well, Master Oogway, thank you for all that you've done for me. I don't deserve it, but thank you." Kiro said, bowing to the turtle.

"Oh, Kiro, I assure you that the pleasure has been all mine! However, I must tell you, I know your feelings for Tigress. Do not pursue those feelings, or conflict will arise! Her heart is destined to be with the Dragon Warrior's and his only." The tortoise remarked.

"I…understand, Master. I'll do as you say. Well, so long!" The tiger gleefully replied before he turned and marched down the hill, embarking on his eight day journey towards the Emperor's palace.

*Eight days later*

"Whoopee, I feel like a homeless person again! No water or streams that I could bathe in for five days? Come on! That just doesn't happen!" Kiro complained as he trekked through a large forest. His fur was caked with mud and leaves and branches clung to him like a magnet.

Once the tiger reached the top of a large hill, his jaw dropped as he gazed upon the shining, sparkling city before him. Merchants and their products littered the streets, and people rushed about, trying to buy what they needed. Large commerce buildings seemed to puncture the blue sky, and the sun shone down on the littler buildings, bathing them in its bright light. Kiro looked over to his right and saw the tall palace, which had golden statues climbing the sides of it. The building was at least eight stories high and had at least two thousand steps leading up to the courtyard.

"Well, looks like I'll get to use my rocket cart to zoom up those steps!" Kiro said to himself.

Once the tiger had entered the city and marched his way to the bottom of the steps leading to the palace, he took out his staffs and summoned a red outline of an iron cart with fireworks strapped behind it.

He hopped on and yanked the string on the cart, sparking the fireworks to life and shooting him up the stairs. However, he was going so fast and so high that he actually over shot his goal and headed up into the air. People below in the village started screaming and running for cover, and guards rushed around to their battle positions.

"AAAAAHHHHH! NOT GOOD! TOTALLY NOT GOOD!"

Kiro's cart vanished from underneath him and the tiger slowly started to fall towards the Earth.

"I really have to learn to fix that. That always happens! Too high in the sky and poof, it's gone!"

Kiro tapped his weapons together three times and summoned an outline of a red sled underneath him. He rocketed towards the roof of the palace and slammed on the tiles, sliding down the sides at a great speed, knocking red tiles off of the roof as he went.

"Well, this'll be a great first impression!"

He reached the last roof floor and slid off, landing in the courtyard.

"TAADAA!" Kiro shouted.

Imperial guards burst out of the palace and surrounded the tiger, pointing their spears and crossbows at him.

"ON YOUR KNEES, NOW!" A rhino yelled.

Kiro dropped down on his knees, but his staffs on the ground, and put his hands in the air.

"Guess I shoulda knocked, huh?" He said, smiling nervously.

**Well, here's the next chapter! Sorry it took a little longer to write! Anyway, leave a review if you enjoyed! Why not favorite/ follow the story as well? The big fight/ action scene is coming up in a couple of chapters, so stay tuned for that!**

**NOTE:**** I don't have anything against homeless people. I'm just trying to depict what it'd be like to be homeless.**

**ANOTHER NOTE:**** I do own Kiro, Los, and Sashi. However, if you want to use them in one of your stories, just PM me and tell me what you plan to use them for, and usually I'd agree.**

**More to come…**


	5. A Sudden Attack

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! The end of this story draws near and soon the first chapter of the final major story will be up! I'm thinking that this should be done by Friday or so. That means that the new story should be up by next Monday or Tuesday. ENOUGH TALK! Here's the new chapter…**

Once Kiro was put in cuffs and taken inside the palace, he was led down a series of hallways and passages leading to the throne room.

_So cool! I'll get to see the Emperor! I mean, it'll be NOT cool if he decides to throw me in jail or behead me, but if not, then COOL!_

The tiger and the guards stopped in front of a very large wooden and steel door and waited as it slowly opened. Once fully open, the rhinos took Kiro inside the room and forced him to his knees at the foot of the Emperor.

(**Author's Note: This room was already described in Sage's Siege, so that's why I didn't re-describe it.)**

Kiro looked up slowly and gawked at what species the Emperor was.

_A snake? Seriously? Not something powerful, like a tiger or a rhino or even a croc, but a snake? Come on! THIS is the emperor of China?_

"If you wish to remain out of prison, you will answer every question I have for you, is that clear?" The snake hissed.

"Yes, sir." Came the reply.

"Good. Now, who are you?" The Emperor demanded.

"Kiro Takimuro from the Valley of Peace."

"Hm, Valley of Peace you say? Why are you here?"

"You sent for me, sir. I received an invitation from Master Oogway."

"Really?" The Emperor said, not fully believing the tiger. "Prove it."

"Well, Your Majesty, I would reach into my pocket to get the scroll you sent me, but my hands seem to be unable to reach it at the moment." Kiro replied.

"Kun, get the scroll from his pocket." The serpent hissed.

An abnormally large rhino nodded, lumbered over to Kiro, and fished out the scroll. Once the Emperor had confirmed that he himself had sent the invite, the tiger's cuffs were removed.

"I've heard good things about you, Kiro. I just didn't expect you to demolish my roof as your grand entrance." The Emperor stated.

"Well, I guess I should explain that…" Kiro began. The tiger explained everything from his arrival to the rocket cart to his crash landing in the courtyard.

"Well, I wondered what made such a loud thump! Next time, dear boy, just use the front door like normal people." The snake chuckled, shaking his head.

"Noted." Kiro responded.

"Now, I know that this is rather sudden, but I have to introduce you to your new team." The serpent stated.

"Team?" A confused tiger asked.

"Oh yes, every warrior here is paired with a few others so that they can look out for each other on missions, for instance, your team will be Team 27. Now, I present, your new allies…"

A female wolf and a boy bobcat walked into the room.

"So this is the new warrior? Congrats, bro! What's your name?" The bobcat asked.

"Kiro, yours?"

"Heh, my name's Dan-Los-Sun, but everyone calls me Los."

"Hi Kiro, I'm Sashi! Nice to meet you! I'm sure we'll get along great!" The girl wolf said cheerfully.

"I know we will. I can tell that like me, you're a jokester and a usually relaxed guy, but when provoked, you can be dangerous…" Kiro stated, looking at Los, "…Sashi, on the other hand, is smart, kind to most, and can be a deadly tactician. Your greatest weakness, however, is that you can tend to be overconfident."

"Wow, this guy's good. What about you, huh?" Los replied.

"Me? Well, I'm a funny guy, smart to a fault, powerful, a loose cannon, dangerous when infuriated, and most of all…" Kiro flashed a smile, "…reckless."

"Oh, I like this guy, Sash. He's got all of the traits I wanted in a bro!" Los stated as he put his arm around Kiro. "Welcome aboard, dude!"

"Well, I'll let you get acquainted with each other. However, starting tomorrow, I'm sending you three on your first mission together. An assassin hired by that lousy wolverine, Sage, has been trying to kill me for the past two weeks. My guards haven't been able to catch him or her, but I'm sure that you three will be able to. Guards, show them to their rooms! They have a long day tomorrow!" The Emperor explained.

The rhinos ushered the three out of the throne room and led them to their rooms. They were set side by side each other: Sashi on one side, Kiro in the middle, and Los on the right.

After talking for a little while, eating dinner, and saying their goodnights, the new team all went to sleep.

*Around midnight*

Kiro was sleeping soundly until an arrow zipped through his window and slammed into his door.

The tiger shot up and looked around the room wildly.

"What the heck was that?" Kiro heard Los say in the room next to him. Apparently the sound had woken him up too.

"Somebody tried to shoot me with an arrow!" The white tiger exclaimed.

He turned and looked out the window and spotted a ninja holding a crossbow, sitting on a rooftop not far away.

"Be right back!" Kiro stated as he grabbed his staffs and jumped out of the window.

The thing was, Kiro forgot that he was on the sixth floor of the eight story building.

"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?" He shouted as he plummeted to the ground.

The tiger hit the earth hard and rolled to a stop. Kiro stood up and looked at the rooftop where the ninja was still sitting.

Almost like they were waiting for him.

The tiger shot a bolt of power into the ground, which launched him into the air. Kiro landed on one of the rooftops and continued to hop and leap over the buildings until he reached the one where his assailant waited.

"Why did you attack me?" Kiro snarled.

"It was the only way to get your attention. Besides, I'm trying to kill the Emperor, not you. If Sage wanted you killed, you'd be dead by now." The ninja hissed.

"Who's Sage?"

"Why, the man from whom your father stole those staffs from. They've been in Sage's family for generations. However, he doesn't want them back right now. Anyway, I've come to deliver this message to you: don't follow me or try to stop Sage. If you do, then your new friends will die." The masked attacker stated.

"Oh really? What would happen if I were to stop you here?" The tiger asked.

"Well, I'd have to beat you into a pulp. I would kill you, but Sage wants you alive for some reason. Something about a sporting chance with your friends back home and warning them about an attack." The ninja explained.

"Meh, I'd like to see if I could get my mission of stopping you over and done with before I even set off tomorrow."

"So be it."

The two warriors lunged at each other with great force and engaged in battle. The ninja slammed their foot into Kiro's chest making him stumble back. The attacker quickly drew out two sharp daggers and swiped them at Kiro. The tiger blocked his foe's attacks and blasted them with a shot of power from his staffs, sending them tumbling across the ground. Kiro tapped his staffs together once and slammed them into the ground, sending a blast of electricity through the floor and into his opponent. The attacker got up and charged at Kiro with great speed. They knocked his feet out from under him and sent a stinging uppercut to the tiger's jaw. The assailant threw Kiro's Di staffs off to the side and pinned him to the ledge of the massively tall building. The ninja moved Kiro farther and farther off the edge until he was so far off that one more push forward would send him over the edge. This time, he didn't have his staffs to protect him.

"Lord Sage would be furious if he found out that I killed you, so I'll just tell him that we fought a little, you lunged at me, I stepped to the side and you flew off of the building and plummeted to your demise!" The masked mercenary hissed.

"Did you know that I have a fear of falling to my death off of a very high building?" Kiro joked nervously.

"Too bad. Guess today wasn't your lucky day then!"

The ninja pushed Kiro off of the edge, but Kiro grabbed onto the ledge with one hand and dangled from the building, hovering above his demise.

"You're stubborn, I'll give you that." The attacker stated.

They lifted up their foot and prepared to bring it down on Kiro's head, which would make him lose his grip and fall to his death.

**Well, that's the end of that chapter! Tell me what you thought of it in the reviews! A big plot twist is revealed in the next chapter, so be looking for it soon! I might post it tonight! Let me know in the review section if I should!**

**More to come…**


	6. Danger Close

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed my last chapter! I'm having lots of fun writing the chapters, and I hope that you all are having just as much fun reading them. Without further ado, here's the new chapter…**

The assailant raised their foot, getting ready to bring it down on Kiro's head, which would send him off the building and to his death.

"Special delivery!" Los said cheerfully as he flew across the rooftop and slammed his foot into the attacker's jaw.

The ninja stumbled back, dazed, but quickly recovered and engaged the bobcat in a heated fight. Sashi ran up to Kiro, who was still clinging to the side of the building, and started to pull him up.

"What're you doing?" She asked.

"Oh, ya know, just hanging around!" The tiger joked.

"I've heard that before! Not funny once you've heard it the sixth time!"

"Hey, gimme a break, alright? I just got rescued from falling to my death! I don't exactly have a punch line ready every time someone talks to me!" Kiro complained.

The two ran over and joined Los in taking down the assassin. The bobcat had his swords out and was fending off his foe's attacks with great speed. Once Kiro had retrieved his Di staffs again, he ran back over to join his comrades. The tiger tapped his weapons together twice and slammed the ends of them into his opponent, sending the ninja crumpling to the ground. Sashi kicked them in the chin and threw them across the roof. The attacker slowly got up, but Kiro raced towards them and slammed his fist into their face, forcing the mercenary back down to the ground.

"You wanted a punch line? There it is!" Kiro exclaimed, looking back at the wolf.

"You've…made a gr…ave…mistake. Pers…ue…this path of…stopping Sage… an…d… your two friends… will die!" The ninja stated weakly.

"Well, that doesn't sound all that nice, does it? Besides, do you know how many times I've cheated death?" Los asked, walking up to the attacker.

The figure didn't respond.

"Well, I'd say more times than you've gotten orders to kill people, that's for sure." The bobcat answered.

"I came unprepared for a fight with three tonight. Next time, I'll be better equipped to take all of you down. Oh, and Kiro, my mission was not a complete failure tonight. My other employer, who wishes to remain anonymous, asked me to deliver a message, and I did. Hope you have a good night's sleep!" The masked assailant stated before throwing some smoke bombs onto the ground, blinding the heroes sight.

Once the fog cleared, the ninja was gone.

"Well, that's just fantastic! He's angry! Apparently we'll die at some point! We have no idea where he's hiding and when he'll strike next! What's the plan now?" Sashi ranted.

"Well, I say we go back to sleep." Kiro stated.

"Yeah. I don't know about you, Sash, but this wildcat has got to get his beauty sleep or else I'll be the most hateful person on earth. Besides, we're not gonna die! This Sage guy just sounds like he's blowing smoke! The three of us aren't going anywhere!" Los reassured.

The girl wolf sighed and they went back to their rooms for the night.

Kiro said goodnight again to his teammates and opened his door to his room and walked in.

_Man, I can't wait to get some sleep. Nothing like fighting baddies at midnight to make a guy tired!_

Once Kiro shut the door, he started to turn back around and head for his bed, but stopped.

The arrow that was shot through Kiro's window had a piece of paper attached to it. The tiger walked over to his door, pulled the arrow out and tore the paper off of the small spear.

The tiger read the note, and almost fainted.

He couldn't believe what was written on the slip of paper.

*The next day*

Kiro didn't sleep at all once he was back in his room that night. How could he? After he got dressed in new clothes for the day, he met his comrades in the cafeteria of the palace for breakfast.

"Dude, you look like total stink!" Los commented as he walked in with Sashi.

"Yeah, Kiro, didn't you sleep well last night?" The wolf asked.

The tiger sighed. He had to explain to them what had happened after he entered his room last night. In order for them to understand what had traumatized him so much, he had to explain his past. Even though Kiro didn't like to, he explained it to his friends, whose expressions went from happiness in the beginning, to complete and total horror and sadness at the end.

"So, why do you look so bummed out? Not prying too much." The bobcat asked. This was not a normal emotion for Los: being serious.

The tiger showed them the note that was attached to the arrow and their jaws dropped.

"That's great! Wonderful!" Sashi exclaimed.

"Yeah, except that I know it's not true. I…confirmed it myself. The remnants were charred beyond belief. This letter is false." Kiro stated. It pained him to say 'confirmed,' and his friends realized this immediately.

"So…what does this mean?" Los asked.

"It means that some slime ball is trying to be funny or make a point! What I can't figure out is why they used Li-Ding paper. That type of material can only be found in Japan! That must be where the employer of that ninja is, however I don't feel like visiting Japan anytime soon." The white tiger explained.

Just then, a guard came up to the team's table.

"The Emperor wants you to leave and find the criminal as soon as possible! You can eat later!" The rhino stated, then proceeded to take their plates of food and walk off.

"And a 'good morning' to you too, Sunshine!" Kiro muttered.

Once the group reached their rooms, they started packing for their journey. They were each assigned to wear a black outfit that covered everything but their eyes and feet.

Sashi packed a few canisters of water, her signature bow and arrows, and a pair of shoes. Los, however, packed his swords, his pillows, some of his clothes, and his lucky dice. Kiro, on the other hand, only brought his staffs, which hung from his waist.

"Bro, that's it?" Los asked, surprised at what little Kiro had brought.

"Well, I know how to live on my own, so I picked up a few skills here and there. I'll be fine! I just don't see why you had to bring so much stuff!" Kiro replied.

"Boys, next time, just bring what you'll need. Don't be a pack rat," Sashi exclaimed, looking at Los, then turned to Kiro and said, "and don't be a survivor guy."

"Fine. It'll be hard to tell who's who. We all look alike!" Los stated.

"We'll figure it out." The tiger responded.

"Is that you, Sashi?" Los joked, looking at Kiro, "I don't recognize you under all of that black cloth!"

"Funny…" Kiro stated.

The tiger seemed to be back to his old self. One thought, however, had kept Kiro's mind occupied ever since last night.

The note.

Only three words were written on that slip of paper, which were forever burned into his mind:

Daddy says 'hi'

**There's the cliffhanger ending that I told you about! Pretty big plot twist, huh? Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review if you did! Also, put any ideas that you have of what the heck is happening in your review! I'm excited to read what you guys think is happening!**

**More to come…**


	7. A Sinister Plot

**Hey everyone! How did you enjoy that cliffhanger, huh? Just letting you know, if you're reading this story before Sage's Siege, then that's fine I guess. The ending of this story picks up at the beginning of Sage's Siege. Here's the new chapter…**

"So, where're we going exactly?" Sashi asked.

"Well, villagers spotted him moving west towards the mountains, so I think we should start there." Los responded.

A couple of hours later, the group reached the mountain range. Aside from a few cliffs and high ledges, there was nothing very special about this place. Nothing too dangerous and no traps. The heroes continued to walk through the valley when Los spotted something. An engraving was carved into the rock.

It read: Catch me if you can, heroes.

"He's taunting us." Kiro stated.

"Well, where now?" Sashi asked. "Our only lead is an engraving in the mountain!"

"Hold up." The tiger said, holding up his hand.

Kiro summoned his inner peace inside of him, and the world slowed down around him. He had learned to do this while being homeless, since he had plenty of time to think and become humble. Well, as humble as he could be. Kiro's hearing strengthened and he heard the shuffling of some rocks a few mountain tops away.

Somebody was still here.

Watching them.

Kiro snapped back to his normal state, whirled around his staffs, and shot them into the ground, which launched him towards the merc who was hiding in the shadows on a separate mountain.

"FOUND YA!" The tiger shouted gleefully.

The ninja took off and ran towards the large plains, which stretched out before some old abandoned commerce buildings and homes.

"Man, he's good." Los commented.

"Yep." Sashi replied. The two then ran after Kiro and the ninja, who were a good distance away from them.

The ninja hopped over the wall that surrounded the disowned buildings and ran into the center of the small city. Kiro charged after them and summoned two ropes that shot out of his staffs and wrapped around the masked figure's legs, tripping them and sending them crashing to the ground. The white tiger then commanded the ropes to extend and tie up his foe. Soon, the ninja was tied up and defeated and Los and Sashi ran up to Kiro's side.

"Heh, what was that about being prepared to fight the three of us?" Los taunted.

"Who said I wasn't?" The attacker hissed.

Just then, thousands of soldiers carrying spears, swords, and crossbows came pouring out of the buildings and surrounded the heroes.

"Oh, it…was…a trap." Sashi said slowly.

"My employer, Sage, is no fool." The assailant stated.

"Well, I guess I shoulda saw that coming!" The bobcat remarked.

Sashi whipped out her bow and readied an arrow, Los unsheathed his swords and got into his fighting stance, and Kiro gripped his staffs, getting ready to take on the massive number of soldiers.

"Well, I believe that those belong to me!" A voice from within the crowd called out.

"Really? If you can point your name out on these staffs, then their yours!" Kiro called back, looking around.

A wolverine emerged from the massive number of henchmen. He was tall, had black fur, his white fangs shown in the sunlight, and a scar ran down his eye. He had two swords strapped to his back and he wore a silver and gold cape and hood.

"Sorry, but I didn't get a chance to carve 'property of Sage' into those staffs before they were stolen from my family many years ago." The wolverine stated.

"So you're Sage? Then this is your…?" Los trailed off.

"My army, as it is. You see, that Emperor has denied me total control of China's army. He ruined my plan for complete domination of this country when he gave that position to one of his friend's sons. Now, though, I have my own army, which is much bigger than the Imperial Army. Once I crush the kung-fu warriors and masters in China, nothing will stand in our way from ruling all of you!" Sage gloated.

"Us?" Sashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't stress yourself over the matter. Just surrender and you may live, however, if you choose to fight, then you'll die!" The wolverine stated.

"There's too many of them. We can't fight!" Los whispered to the other two.

"Yeah, but we can't surrender anyway! What do we do?" Sashi asked.

"Well, anyone up for a little running?" Kiro replied.

Sashi bent down and picked up the tied up ninja and stood at Kiro's side. Los marched over to Kiro's right and stood also, facing Sage.

"Just grab on and don't let go." The tiger murmured.

His comrades grabbed his arms and Kiro shot a beam into the ground, rocketing them over the soldiers and by the exit. Kiro summoned a rocket cart and turned back to face the enemy soldiers, who were roaring and charging towards him.

"Hop into the cart with the ninja and pull the string! I'll be with you guys in a moment!" Kiro ordered.

Los and Sashi did so, and once Los pulled the string, the fireworks shot to life and carried them away at great speed.

"KIRO!" Sashi shouted.

"YOU HEROIC JERK! YOU TRICKED US!" Los yelled as the shot towards the city.

Kiro tapped his staffs together three times and was about to slam them into the ground, when a soldier kicked them from his hands. The ends of the staffs hit the tiger's chest and immediately Kiro was enveloped in a massive red outline of a tiger.

"Wow, didn't know that I could do that with these things!" The tiger stated, holding his staffs.

He punched and kicked all of the surrounding soldiers, who were either attacking him, or running away. Enemy guards flew everywhere, slamming into walls and buildings. Soon, the entire small army was wiped out, leaving Sage remaining.

Kiro's avatar disappeared and the tiger dropped back to the ground and faced Sage.

"Looks like your plans of domination are flattened, Sage!"

"On the contrary, dear Kiro, that was only about a tenth of my army that you just beat. I still have thousands upon thousands of more soldiers. There is no way that you could defeat them all!" The wolverine snarled.

"I'm sure that they'd give up once I had taken you down!" The white tiger retorted.

"We shall see if that's the case."

Sage pulled out his swords and charged towards Kiro. The tiger shot bolts of electricity at his foe, but Sage leaped and dodged each shot and slammed his foot into Kiro's face. The tiger stumbled back, and received a swift blow to his chest and got his feet knocked out from under him. Sage brought his swords down upon the tiger, but Kiro raised his weapons and blocked the attack. The wolverine slammed the ends of his swords into the tiger's chest and put them back in their holsters.

Sage picked up the battered and barely conscious Kiro and looked at him.

"It was a nice try, but you see, rage and quickness beats anything any day." The wolverine stated.

He lengthened the claws in his hands and brought them close to Kiro's neck, one swipe and the tiger would be a goner.

"I would kill you, but you're clearly no threat to me. I'll give you a sporting chance at defending China. It will be futile, but I like a little bit of a challenge. Run home to the Valley of Peace and tell them that I will attack there a year from now. I'll be waiting."

Sage retracted his claws and threw Kiro across the area. The tiger crashed into the ground and slowly got to his feet and managed to stand, but he was swaying from side to side.

"Until next time, Kiro." Sage stated, then he smiled and threw a smoke bomb to the ground and disappeared within the cloud.

"Egotistical wolverine…" Kiro muttered to himself.

Sage's words echoed through his mind.

_Run home to the Valley of Peace and tell them that I will attack there a year from now. I'll be waiting._

_I'll be waiting…_

"I've gotta get back and tell the Emperor about this! I have to help defend the Valley of Peace!" Kiro said. "How do I get back quickly, though?"

The tiger then remembered the rocket cart.

"That's how."

As Kiro summoned the cart and climbed in, the wolverine's comment still hovered in his head.

_I'll be waiting…_

**That's the end of this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! Leave your review with your thoughts! I'll post the final chapter very soon!**

**More to come…**


	8. A Glimpse In the Future

**Hey everyone! Last chapter for this story! Hope you guys liked it and picked up a few hints along the way! After this story, I'll start on the final major one with Kiro, Po, and the others. Be on the lookout for ****Kung Fu Panda Finale: Tiger Tiger**** in a few days! I know present, the last chapter…**

Once Kiro had shot back over to the palace entrance, accidentally knocking some stands and merchants over on his way, he ran inside and found Sashi and Los waiting for him.

"You're okay!" The wolf exclaimed, running up to Kiro and tackling him in a big hug.

"I hope I'm not always gonna get tackled like this." Kiro stated.

"Dude, I hate you so much right now. I thought I was gonna lose my bro!" Los laughed as he walked up to the tiger. "Well, you look like ya got caught in a rockslide. What happened?"

Kiro explained to them the story of how he fought off Sage's army, got his butt kicked by Sage, and how the wolverine planned to begin his rampage through China a year from now.

"Well, we'll see if we can't stop him before then. Right now, we have to get that assassin to the Emperor so he can be jailed." Sashi exclaimed.

*An hour later*

"That mercenary for hire is behind bars for good. I'm afraid, though, that we don't know the identity of his… other employer. Well, now that the ninja is behind bars for good, and I know what Sage is up to, I am permanently assigning this team to finding Sage and stopping him, by any means necessary." The serpent said.

"Yes, sir." The three replied.

"Excellent, you've done what I've asked of you, and you must be tired. Take the next couple of days off and rest. You'll begin your search for clues and leads on our enemies ware bouts in a few days. You're dismissed." The Emperor concluded.

*A year later, midday*

For the next year, the team searched for clues and leads as to Sage's location and what he planned to do, but usually came up with nothing. Every time they got a lead on his location, the wolverine and his army were gone before the heroes arrived. However, they did find that his two main targets were the kung-fu headquarters and the Emperor's palace itself.

"Well, I want every kung-fu warrior over here at once! I want all guards in their prime and I want plenty of resources, weapons, ammunition, and supplies for everyone! Send all of the kung-fu masters to guard the headquarters and I want every government official but I put in the safe bunker a few miles from here. This is effective immediately! Spread the word, and fast!" The snake ordered.

The scribe nodded and ran off with the orders in hand.

Kiro and his comrades stood before the Emperor, awaiting their orders.

"I have nothing for you, Los or Sashi, but Kiro, I want you to head out for the Valley of Peace in the morning. Sage said a year ago that he would attack there first, and I want you to alert the warriors there and evacuate the citizens. He will be there in about nine days from our calculations. Understood?" The serpent commanded.

"Yes, sir." The team replied.

*That night, in Kiro's dream*

Kiro had a very odd dream in the night. He was standing in a very flat field, facing thousands of soldiers, which were too far away to see.

"Ready for this, buddy?" A panda asked, walking up beside him.

"Ready for what?" The tiger asked, looking at the panda with confusion.

"Great!" The panda replied, not hearing what Kiro had just asked. "This'll be our last stand! If we can't hold them here, China will fall."

"It's been an honor fighting with you, Dragon Warrior." A female mountain lion stated, walking up beside the panda.

_So this is the Dragon Warrior? Seriously? First, the Emperor is a snake, then the Dragon Warrior is a fat panda?_

"I'll see you after this, Kiro." The lioness added, before leaning in and kissing him on the lips.

Once she pulled away, the extremely confused tiger asked, "Who the heck are you?"

"FOR TIGRESS!" The Dragon Warrior shouted, before him and the others charged towards the massive number of enemies.

*End of dream*

Kiro snapped open his eyes and he shot straight up from his bed. He was covered in sweat and his blanket and covers were drenched.

_What the heck was that about? I've gotta go see the soothsayer._

The tiger slipped on some shoes and an orange silk shirt and walked over to the soothsayer's room.

He knocked on the door and a weary, old voice said, "Come in."

The white tiger opened the door and walked inside. The room was dimly lit, quiet, and no possessions were in the room except for two pillows to sit on and a mat on the floor. A very elderly female bunny was sitting on one of the pillows.

"Hello," She said, "You must be Kiro. Yes, I've been waiting for you for a few days."

"Okay? Uh, I've had this weird dream tonight, and I don't know what it means." Kiro explained, taking a seat on the pillow across from the elderly woman.

"Hm, state your dream to me, and I'll see if I can interpret it." She croaked.

The tiger explained every minute detail of his dream. He was surprised that he remembered everything. Usually, he had trouble remembering what he had for lunch most days.

"I see. This is your destiny. This is your last stand. Your final battle in your lifetime." The soothsayer explained.

"Well, how does it turn out?" Kiro asked; he was almost leaning off of the pillow in anticipation.

"That is for you to decide, Kiro. The choices you make leading up to this will determine its outcome."

Kiro stood up to leave. He was almost to the door when the bunny called to him again. He turned and faced the elderly woman again.

"Kiro, a warning. This journey that you've seen is a treacherous one. Don't approach it with a light heart."

"Yeah? Well, thanks, but I'll be fine." Kiro replied. He was about to shut the door when the soothsayer spoke again.

"A hero crushed and another's wings clipped is only the beginning of your trip. Tiger versus tiger and friend against friend, but love versus love is how it will end." She stated, in an almost entranced voice.

The shaken tiger shut the door and made himself go back to his room. He couldn't sleep. Not after that. He packed his staffs and put on his black, stealth outfit and prepared to leave.

"Happy travels, bro." Los replied when Kiro said goodbye.

"Bye Kiro! See you when you come back!" Sashi stated in her usual happy tone.

The white tiger said his farewells to his friends and to the Emperor and went on his way.

*Eight days later*

Once Kiro had arrived at the Valley of Peace, he soon found out that his old friend, Master Oogway had since past on. Despite how much it grieved him to hear the news, Kiro was relieved to here that his friend, the short and red panda, was the new master and Tigress was the leader of an elite team who protected China.

He marched up to the Jade Palace once again and hopped on the rooftop of the building.

_Funny, the last time I was here I was trying to kill these guys. Now I'm helping them. Oh, the irony…_

Kiro scanned the area and saw Tigress tearing apart some wooden dummies.

"So," he said to himself, "You still have you old moves, huh? Well, I guess we'd better get reacquainted then! Heh!"

Kiro jumped down into some bushes and emerged out into the courtyard, holding his staffs in case of a surprise attack.

Just then , a panda came bounding out of the palace. "Hey Ti—WHOAAAAAA! Who's that? What are those?"

Tigress whirled and faced Kiro with a look of malice. "Po, get back! Viper! Crane! I need your help! NOW!"

_Oh, yeah. They she doesn't recognize me. This could be problematic._

A snake and a bird flew out of the palace and took their place at Tigress' side.

_Another snake? Wow. Alright, so much for the stealth approach. I guess I'll have to do this the hard way…_

As Kiro got into his battle stance, he remembered the soothsayer's words.

_A hero crushed and another's wings clipped is only the beginning of your trip. Tiger versus tiger and friend against friend, but love versus love is how it will end._

**THE STORY DOESN'T END HERE! If you want to know how this whole ordeal with Sage, Po, the Five, and Kiro ends, check out Sage's Siege!**

**If you want to understand the final story, YOU HAVE TO READ THE OTHER THREE BEFORE THIS ONE. Their called ****Kung Fu Panda Prequel: Birth of the Five****, ****Kung Fu Panda 3: Sage's Siege****, and ****Kung Fu Panda 4: Gauntlet of Criminals****.**

**That's the end of this prequel! Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Leave a review with what you thought! Follow/favorite if you want!**

**I'll start the final major story in a couple of days! Those last two sentences in this story are BIG in the next one! Be on the lookout for ****Kung Fu Panda Finale: Tiger Tiger****!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**More to come…**


	9. Author's Note: Finale Is Out Now!

**Hey everyone! Just letting you guys know that I was feeling happy and generous today, so I posted the first chapter of the final story for you guys! Let me know what you thought about it!**


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